Youth Acolytes at Trinity Lime Rock

as Acolytes on Feast Days, on special occasions -- and on some ordinary Sundays as well. We are proud of them, and often visitors from other parishes ask us how our Trinity Kids become such proficient acolytes -- and love doing it so much!

Part of it is long-standing tradition of our young people serving as acolytes. If you wish, click on the photo above to see it full sized -- it's some Trinity acolytes way back in the 1970s!

And, if you click on the photo above, you'll see some Trinity acolytes in October, 2006.

You'll see lots more of our acolytes today on this page, all the way from the 2001 Triduum Sacrum and Easter Sunday to the present time.

But first, how doTrinity Kids get started learning to be acolytes?

	Here's where it starts: Whenever we can, we show even the youngest that they are part of our Worship. Here, a Minister of Communion gets some assistance with the 2002 Advent Candles from a future Trinity acolyte.
But it's when it's done without adult assistance that it begins to really sink in. It's also a way the kids become aware of the many dimensions of our rituals. Pictured here, for example, are preparations for the Sunday School procession into the adult service for Holy Eucharist, led by a Sunday Schooler carrying Trinity's Sunday School Cross.
	Anyway...it's fun, and it's a great opportunity to practice!! (Recently the kids have been carrying the Sunday School cross in the Recessional, but it's still an important event for them -- and for us!)

...but soon comes the "real thing" -- being an acolyte for "Big People Church"... here's a Trinity acolyte team in action!
(Here are a few pictures from Maundy Thursday, 2001) Robing is an important part of the process ....
...for each acolyte, some aspects of robing are of more interest than others....
	...but eventually this acolyte team was ready! You can click on the picture on the right for a larger view of this team

Once robed, rehearsal and preparation are still needed....

Maundy Thursday acolytes in rehearsal

Kids rehearse for Acolyte duty

Acolyte for the Great Vigil of Easter

Young Acolyte for Great Vigil of Easter

Easter Sunday acolytes

Two girls who were Acolytes for Easter Sunday

Labor Day Sunday, 2006: new acolytes made their debut

Senior Warden Linda Lloyd and Minister of Communion Sue Kozlowski instructing	Carrying the Gospel book
Learning to place the torches	More practice with the torch
Sue checking with the torchbearers	Some last minute coaching
All set to go!	Click on any of these thumbnails to see a much larger version of the picture. to see this team in action when we were visited by the Choir of Trinity Church, Wall Street!

Click on the picture below to see the Easter acolyte team shown above almost two years later, while preparing to serve at a Baptism...

...and again, this time on Palm Sunday 2003 (shown with their proud mom!)

Commissioning of the Acolytes

Once the new acolytes have been trained (both formal training and a suitable period of OJT) and have demonstrated that they both can handle the responsibility of serving at the Altar and have a real interest in continuing as acolytes, we formally commission them using the ceremony from the Book of Occasional Services

Here are two pictures from the commissioning held October 15, 2006, with the Rt. Rev. Cyril Wismar presiding, and with Senior Warden (and Minister of Communion) Linda Lloyd presenting the candidates.

Candidates, seen before the Commissioning, with Bishop Wismar and Senior Warden Lloyd

Acolytes, following the Commissioning, show their new Crosses to the congregation

Usually, the acolytes join the choir and the celebrant in Walker Hall for a prayer before the ceremony. Then, all proceed to the church door for the procession...

For some services, our older acolytes take roles that adults usually fill. For example, here is one of our acolytes serving in the important role of processional crucifer for the Maundy Thursday service.

...and, the acolyte's role at the Great Vigil of Easter is particularly important because the acolyte lights the candles of the parishioners for the Great Procession

Here's something our acolytes get to do when the Bishop makes his annual visitation: one gets to serve as "Bishop's Chaplain". In the photos on the right, you can see the Bishop's Chaplain from Bishop Ramos' visit in 2001, and the Bishop's Chaplain from Bishop Curry's visit in 2003. Very, very few of our acolytes have had the distinction of being Bishop's Chaplain for a groundbreaking at Trinity, but here's one!
It may look easy, but our acolytes have ongoing training, as well as on-the-job training, along with the Ministers of Communion. Here are some photos from a recent training session. (click on any picture to see it full-sized)
We invite you to *to see lots of pictures from the acolyte training session held in October 2006. Our secret? Being an acolyte at Trinity is a combination of training and practice.*	Here's an acolyte in 2004 receiving a quick briefing about the details of the service she'll soon be serving in.
As long as Acolytes carry candles, there WILL be candle wax to peel...
*...and even though being an acolyte is hard work sometimes, it definitely is an experience to remember....*
...and it's fun, too! Here's one of our acolytes before our Shrove Tuesday Evensong (and pancake supper!)(note the Mardi Gras beads)
Kids sometimes ask: "Is being an acolyte at Trinity something I could do?" The answer is that if one of our young people wishes to learn to be an acolyte, we do all we can to encourage him or her!

Trinity Kids often...

serve at the Altar

Commissioning of the Acolytes

YOU are welcome at Trinity Episcopal Church, 484 Lime Rock Road, Lakeville, Connecticut!